Radical Scavenging and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of Representative Anthocyanin Groupings from Pigment-Rich Fruits and Vegetables

Abstract

Anthocyanins, the naturally occurring pigments responsible for most red to blue colours of flowers, fruits and vegetables, have also attracted interest because of their potential health effects. With the aim of contributing to major insights into their structure–activity relationship (SAR), we have evaluated the radical scavenging and biological activities of selected purified anthocyanin samples (PASs) from various anthocyanin-rich plant materials: two fruits (mahaleb cherry and blackcurrant) and two vegetables (black carrot and “Sun Black” tomato), differing in anthocyanin content (ranging from 4.9 to 38.5 mg/g DW) and molecular structure of the predominant anthocyanins. PASs from the abovementioned plant materials have been evaluated for their antioxidant capacity using Trolox Equivalent Antioxidant Capacity (TEAC) and Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) assays. In human endothelial cells, we analysed the anti-inflammatory activity of different PASs by measuring their effects on the expression of endothelial adhesion molecules VCAM-1 and ICAM-1. We demonstrated that all the different PASs showed biological activity. They exhibited antioxidant capacity of different magnitude, higher for samples containing non-acylated anthocyanins (typical for fruits) compared to samples containing more complex anthocyanins acylated with cinnamic acid derivatives (typical for vegetables), even though this order was slightly reversed when ORAC assay values were expressed on a molar basis. Concordantly, PASs containing non-acylated anthocyanins reduced the expression of endothelial inflammatory antigens more than samples with aromatic acylated anthocyanins, suggesting the potential beneficial effect of structurally diverse anthocyanins in cardiovascular protection.

Phytochemical Analysis and Antioxidant Properties in Colored Tiggiano Carrots

“…All these compounds have been associated to the health-promoting properties of fruits and vegetables [19,22]. Our results are in agreement with other studies, which reported a higher content of these phytochemicals in the cortex of different purple carrot varieties [5].…”

“…Anthocyanins are natural pigments widely occurring in plants, which contribute to the nutritional value of vegetable and fruits, due to their molecular antioxidant properties and their involvement in anti-aging and anti-inflammatory processes [17][18][19]. In plants, anthocyanins are synthetized by the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway, which leads also to the production of phenolic acids and other classes of polyphenols with healthy benefits [20][21][22].…”

Carrot Genotypes Contrasted by Root Color and Grown under Different Conditions Displayed Differential Pharmacological Profiles in Vascular and Metabolic Cells

“…Interestingly, vascular oxidative stress negatively correlated with total polyphenol content. Vascular protection could be associated with the potential radical scavenging activity of pigment-rich fruits and vegetables, including carrot, that lead to increased nitric oxide bioavailability, decreased endothelial apoptosis and hence increased vasodilatation [26]. These effects might be related to the antioxidant properties of either carotenoids or polyphenols or both [27].…”

Blackcurrants (Ribes nigrum): A Review on Chemistry, Processing, and Health Benefits

“…ANC antioxidant activity is directly related to their chemical structure. Differences in antioxidant activity in anthocyanidins can be attributed to differences such as the type, position, and number of methyl and hydroxyl groups (Blando et al., ). Polyphenols are known to be responsible for the scavenging, or trapping, of free radicals, which are responsible for oxidative stress.…”